The Arunachal Pradesh government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (GRH) and Religare Group’s CSR arm, Religare Care Foundation (RCF), in Itanagar on Friday.

Health & Family Welfare Secretary Liyon Borang, GRH director (medical) Dr Satendra Katoch, and Religare Enterprises Ltd executive chairperson Dr Rashmi Saluja signed the MoU in the presence of Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Health Minister Aalo Libang.

Under the MoU, GRH and its partner RCF will offer technical assistance to the state government to strengthen the state’s tertiary healthcare systems and infrastructure.

To begin with, a centre of excellence for renal sciences will be established at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (TRIHMS).

Expressing happiness over the association, Khandu described the MoU as a step forward in providing affordable, accessible and equitable healthcare services to the people of Arunachal.

“It is an endeavour of the government to bring the best of the tertiary healthcare services near to home, thereby reducing the cost and also the psychological trauma the family has to go through for seeking such medical cares. By joining hands with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Religare group, we look forward for bringing about changes that positively impact the lives of the people and also the entire healthcare landscape of the state,” he said.

Observing that kidney diseases have become a major problem for most people of the state, Khandu expressed hope that the centre of excellence for renal sciences would offer the best treatment and care to patients, especially those hailing from rural areas.

He requested the officials of GRH, Religare, and the state’s health department to “explore more avenues to collaborate, so that best of treatments are made available to the people within the state.”

Libang informed that, in the first phase of the partnership, the group will assist in establishing a state-of-the-art healthcare facility dedicated to renal sciences and related research.

“This facility will ensure that patients requiring dialysis or kidney transplants receive the same level of care as those in other parts of the country. Moreover, healthcare professionals in the state will receive appropriate training to enhance their skills and bring them in line with their counterparts in leading states with superior healthcare facilities,” he added.